Author Topic: Our summer holiday in the USA!  (Read 21378 times)

Offline belbbmfan

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Re: Our summer holiday in the USA!
« Reply #30 on: June 28, 2011, 09:51:19 am »




Go here, Fabienne, best bagels in NYC (now than H&H closed this past Sunday!!)


http://www.murraysbagels.com/index2.htm
http://nymag.com/listings/stores/murrays-bagels01/


Murray's Bagels
500 Sixth Ave between 12th and 13th Streets
212-462-2830


GREAT!

I knew I could count on you to give us a good address.
'We're supposed to guard the sheep, not eat 'em'

Offline Shakesthecoffecan

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Re: Our summer holiday in the USA!
« Reply #31 on: June 28, 2011, 10:48:31 am »
I hope you all have a wonderful time on your trip, and drink plenty of water.  ;D
"It was only you in my life, and it will always be only you, Jack, I swear."

Offline Aloysius J. Gleek

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Re: Our summer holiday in the USA!
« Reply #32 on: June 28, 2011, 10:58:58 am »



GREAT!

I knew I could count on you to give us a good address.


And it's just 4 or 5 blocks away from Washington Square Park, which you MUST see--
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Square_Park

and as you walk North, you will also see THIS on the SW corner of 10th Street and Sixth Ave:



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jefferson_Market_Library
"Tu doives entendre je t'aime."
(and you know who I am...)


Cowboy Curtis (Laurence Fishburne)
and Pee-wee in the 1990 episode
"Camping Out"

Offline belbbmfan

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Re: Our summer holiday in the USA!
« Reply #33 on: June 28, 2011, 12:01:27 pm »
I hope you all have a wonderful time on your trip, and drink plenty of water.  ;D

Thanks Truman! We're already drinking lots of water. Temperatures reached in the 90°F over here.  :o It's madness.

'We're supposed to guard the sheep, not eat 'em'

Offline Aloysius J. Gleek

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Re: Our summer holiday in the USA!
« Reply #34 on: June 28, 2011, 04:25:54 pm »



GREAT!

I knew I could count on you to give us a good address.



Here's something that might be useful: Le Pain Quotidien is now the best restaurant chain in New York re reasonable price with really, really decent food--and it's Belgian!!

http://www.lepainquotidien.us/#/en_US/menu

There are more than 20 locations--VERY convenient!

http://www.lepainquotidien.us/#/en_US/locations/new_york/see_all



Re New York Taxi cabs:

A VERY necessary evil. You have very little time, and you don't want to waste precious time if you find yourself in a boring part of town when you could be doing something better. The subway can be problematic for a variety of reasons: Delete and Edit your life--GRAB A CAB and go!

Just remember--DON'T GO TO A TAXI STAND AND WAIT. I see tourists walk out of Grand Central Station or Penn Station, or even their hotel and queue up. And wait. And wait. Uhm, WHY??? No idea. In the airport, YES. In Midtown, NO!!! Just look around, and if you see one, stick out your hand HAIL A CAB.

Look closely at the illuminated sign on the roof of the cab:



If the sign is NOT illuminated, it means it is engaged. Don't bother.

If the sign is entirely illuminated, including the useful "OFF DUTY" part of the sign (see above), again, DON'T BOTHER.

BUT if the numbers ONLY in the center of the sign are illuminated--you're in luck--GRAB THAT CAB! Just don't be shy--half the drivers are half-unconscious, you have to let them know you exist.

Sorry if this too much information, but--EVERY DAY I see tourists who stand in the street windmilling away at cabs who are already engaged or finishing their day, going home--VERY frustrating! Maybe this little bit of knowledge will help.

One very frustrating thing for ALL New Yorkers re taxis: the dreaded "Shift Change." Between 3:00PM and 5:00PM, just when you really, really, REALLY need a cab--there are none. Or rather, there are hordes of them, but ALL of them have their "OFF DUTY" sign illuminated. The Early shift drivers are bringing their cabs to their various garages (mostly in Queens) to give them to the Late shift drivers. AND THEY ALL DO IT TOGETHER, instead of staggering them. Grrrr. If you find yourself ready to kill because you can't find a taxi ANYWHERE at 4:00pm--well, you are now a true New Yorker.

Again--hope this helps!
"Tu doives entendre je t'aime."
(and you know who I am...)


Cowboy Curtis (Laurence Fishburne)
and Pee-wee in the 1990 episode
"Camping Out"

Offline belbbmfan

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Re: Our summer holiday in the USA!
« Reply #35 on: June 29, 2011, 01:51:55 am »
Great taxi tips John, thanks!

We were in London a couple of weeks ago and my daughters had a great time hailing for a cab. It's the same system as in NY, the only queue is at the station, no hailing there.


And I have heard of Le Pain Quotidien, although I've never been to one. I guess they're more successfull abroad than they are in their homecountry.

I'm getting a bit anxious, still lots to do and I have to work till noon today. Thank God my husband is doing laundry today.  ;D




'We're supposed to guard the sheep, not eat 'em'

Offline southendmd

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Re: Our summer holiday in the USA!
« Reply #36 on: June 29, 2011, 08:19:03 am »
Bon voyage, Fabienne!  See you very soon. 

Offline Aloysius J. Gleek

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Re: Our summer holiday in the USA!
« Reply #37 on: June 29, 2011, 08:41:16 am »



Great taxi tips John, thanks!

We were in London a couple of weeks ago and my daughters had a great time hailing for a cab. It's the same system as in NY, the only queue is at the station, no hailing there.


And I have heard of Le Pain Quotidien, although I've never been to one. I guess they're more successfull abroad than they are in their homecountry.

I'm getting a bit anxious, still lots to do and I have to work till noon today. Thank God my husband is doing laundry today.  ;D




God, I hate laundry--but I'm very good at packing! Used to be, anyway.

Here's your successful compatriate (I'm in one of his restaurants at least once or twice a week):




http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Pain_Quotidien







Le Pain Quotidien
Le Pain Quotidien (The Daily Bread) is an international chain of café-style restaurants specializing in bakery items.


History
Founder Alain Coumont opened Le Pain Quotidien on 26 October 1990 at 16 rue Danseart in Brussels, Belgium. As a young chef, Alain was dissatisfied with the quality of bread available in Brussels, so he began making his own, mixing flour, water and salt into the familiar loaves of his childhood. He furnished the store with cabinets scoured from antique stores and a large table purchased at a local flea market: the first Le Pain Quotidien’s many communal tables. Gradually, items were added to them menu to complement the bread, including pastries, salads, beverages, tartines (traditional, open-faced sandwiches) and specialty retail products.

Menu
Le Pain Quotidien offers tartines, soups, salads, quiches, pastries and desserts. The menu includes vegan and vegetarian options.

International
Le Pain Quotidien currently operates 151 bakery-restaurants worldwide in 26 cities and 19 countries, including Belgium, the Netherlands, Great Britain, France, India, Germany, Turkey and the United States (with a strong presence in New York City and Los Angeles).




http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alain_Coumont




Alain Coumont (born 4 March 1961) is a Belgian chef and restaurateur, and founder of Le Pain Quotidien.

Alain Coumont is the son and grandson of grocers. His grandmother ran a hotel in front of the train station in Huy, Belgium. As a child in Belgium, Coumont spent countless hours perched on a chair, watching his grandmother make bread. Then, in 1977, after a voyage to the United States, where he was impressed by the success of Michel Guérard, he abandoned his classical studies and enrolled in the Hotel School of Namur in Belgium. After graduating, Coumont worked in a number of highly regarded restaurants including Michel Guérard (Eugenie Les Bains, France), Georges Blanc (Vonnas, France) and Joel Robuchon (Paris, France).

As a young chef in Brussels, Coumont could not find the right bread for his restaurant. Passionate about quality, he returned to his roots and opened a small bakery where he could knead flour, salt and water into the rustic loaves of his childhood. Coumont opened his bakery in rue Antoine Dansaert in Brussels in 1990, in those days an avant-garde quarter of Belgian fashion. He named his bakery “Le Pain Quotidien.” Brussels quickly took to the taste of this traditional bread. Alain evolved his offering to include simple salads and tartines, keeping bread the cornerstone of the menu. At a local flea market, Coumont found a long table where his guests could sit to eat together; it became Le Pain Quotidien’s first communal table.

Success was rapid and Coumont had numerous candidates who wanted to open other Le Pain Quotidien outlets. In the space of a few months, 10 locations opened in Brussels. Coumont then followed his dream to open restaurants in the United States. In 1997, Coumont opened his first store on Madison Avenue in New York City, which was an instant success. Shortly thereafter, he met a group of Belgian investors who backed his U.S. expansion plans. With this financial support, he opened several locations in New York City and later in Los Angeles.

Coumont currently serves as the Company’s Chief Creative Officer. In this role, he remains the driving force behind the brand’s dedication to organic ingredients. Coumont spends most of this time traveling to support the concept throughout the world. Coumont is also the co-founder of BioGhetto.com, which he established in 2005 with Gilles Valeriani. The company produces a line of organic vins de pique-nique (picnic wines) under the RN13 label, which are produced in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France. Coumont currently resides with his family in Clermont l'Hérault, France.

"Tu doives entendre je t'aime."
(and you know who I am...)


Cowboy Curtis (Laurence Fishburne)
and Pee-wee in the 1990 episode
"Camping Out"

Offline louisev

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Re: Our summer holiday in the USA!
« Reply #38 on: June 29, 2011, 10:43:21 am »
hi Fabienne,

I am not sure if you are still planning to come to Washington but if you are I would love to meet up with you again. Please let me know, I live nearby in Alexandria, Virginia.
“Mr. Coyote always gets me good, boy,”  Ellery said, winking.  “Almost forgot what life was like before I got me my own personal coyote.”


Offline Meryl

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Re: Our summer holiday in the USA!
« Reply #39 on: June 29, 2011, 12:51:35 pm »

Can't wait to see you on Saturday, Fabienne!  It's looking like you'll have fabulous weather this weekend, too.  Here's a little article about the Statue of Liberty.  You'll be visiting on its 125th anniversary and will see some preparations for featuring her during the Macy's fireworks display:

http://www.ny1.com/content/top_stories/141938/lady-liberty-to-be-honored-during-macy-s-fireworks-spectacular

Just look around, and if you see one, stick out your hand HAIL A CAB.

I love our omnipresent New York taxis.  I stayed at the opera office deep into the night trying to finish up my production book for Seance last night.  I arrived at the corner of Columbus and 62nd at ten minutes til 4:00 am.  Birds were heralding the as yet invisible dawn.  In less than 30 seconds I had my cab.  8)
Ich bin ein Brokie...